


Back To Nature

by keroberos



Category: K-pop, NCT (Band), Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Farm/Ranch, Fluff, Gentle Kissing, M/M, Mutual Pining, NOHYUCK FARM BOYS, Stardew Valley - Freeform, Stardew Valley AU, dreamies as stardew valley characters !!!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-01
Updated: 2019-02-28
Packaged: 2019-11-07 07:55:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,739
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17956616
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/keroberos/pseuds/keroberos
Summary: Donghyuck has been given the deed to his grandpa's farm, and heads out to Stardew Valley to start a new life. There he meets Jeno, the carpenter's son, who promises to help rebuild his chicken coop (not a euphemism).Or, a dreamie stardew valley AU with a very lovestruck hyuckie, and a very oblivious lee jeno





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> hello everyone! i'm SO Very excited to be writing this au, i love 1) stardew valley 2)nohyuck 3) DREAM  
> if you've never played the game have no fear! the plot is only loosely based on the games. i'm also going to link the soundtrack to the games for your listening pleasure, hopefully it'll help you feel like you're in pelican town too :-)  
> https://soundcloud.com/concernedape

The fluorescent, overhead light flickered sporadically before giving out completely, bathing Donghyuck’s cubicle in darkness.  
  
“Really, again?”  
  
He sighed loudly. The computer screen illuminated his scowling face as he poked his head over the small cubicle walls. It looked like most of his coworkers had gone home for the night save for a few here and there. He noticed most of the lights in the hallway were flickering too, barely hanging on.  
  
He tried re-focusing on the work left in front of him, but his computer screen was not the best flashlight. And he felt his annoyance rising the more he tried ignoring it. Scowling, he began shuffling his papers back into their manilla folder and getting ready to head home for the night. He knew it was pointless to try and get any more work done when the entire back part of the office didn’t have overhead lighting.  
  
It had been a bit over a year since he’d joined Joja Inc., and he hated every second of it. It was a money hungry, powerhouse of a company that didn’t care about its employees, only worried about stocks, numbers, and big business clients. Donghyuck kept telling himself he’d find something better, eventually, but times were tough. Yeah, the job sucked, but it paid the bills. He didn’t have the free time or leisure to be picky about his employer, not when his family still needed help with money back home.  
  
His grandfather had just passed away recently, and his dad had needed help arranging the funeral, getting his belonging in order and making sure the plot of land he owned was taken care of. Their family owned a fairly decently sized farm up in Stardew Valley, a few hours from Donghyuck’s city.  
  
He hadn’t visited since he was a boy, but he had a number of wonderful childhood memories on his grandpa’s farm. He’d get into all sorts of mischief with the village children - chasing chickens, swimming in the lake after dark, or that one time him and his old friend Mark were convinced there was a wizard living in the forest, so they stole off well past midnight to find the man (it was, they found out, not a wizard but a simple old man who did not enjoy being bothered at late hours. The two were lectured about privacy and rules, but Donghyuck remembers making eye contact with Mark and holding back their giggles).  
  
As Donghyuck was packing up, his computer chirped an e-mail notification. He thought about waiting until the morning, but when he saw it was from his dad his curiosity got the best of him. He clicked open the email:  
  
_Subject: Grandad’s Will_  
  
Hey Kiddo,  
  
We found this with your grandad’s things, it’s addressed to you. Let me know what you wanna do, okay?  
  
I love you,  
  
Dad  
  
There was an image attached to the email, Donghyuck double-clicked to reveal a crummy piece of paper clearly worn with age, and his grandpa’s handwriting:  
Donghyuck,  
  
_I’ve enclosed the deed to my farm, our farm - it’s yours now. I know how much you loved your time here growing up, and I cannot think of a better person to pass this down to._  
This was my most precious gift of all, and now it’s yours. I know you’ll honor the family name. Good luck.  
  
Love,  
  
Grandpa  
  
Donghyuck re-read the letter. And then re-read it again. Okay. So he owned a farm now. He was a farmer. Okay.  
  
“God dammit, Gramps,” he laughed, but it came out choked. He wiped at the tears collecting in the corners of his eyes.  
  
He looked around at the drab, beige confines of his job. He tried to think up any excuse, any reason he should stay in the city, any reason to stay at his job. His grandpa had handed him a ticket to a new life, a chance to start over. His heart hammered in his chest nervously. He knew he’d already made a decision the minute he’d read the email.  
  
Powering down his computer, Donghyuck collected the few personal belongings he’d allowed himself at his desk and smiled to himself. He wouldn’t be back the next day.


	2. Day 1 of Spring, Year 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Farming is Hard, okay?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello!! i wanted to get the prologue and this chapter up together since hyuck didn't actually get to stardew in the last one, so here we go!!

Donghyuck was jostled awake as the bus hit a particularly bumpy patch on the road. He’d been dozing on and off the majority of the ride after catching the 6am out of town. He rubbed the sleepy sand from his eyes, focusing on the flashes of deep green colors whizzing past the window. The sun seemed to have risen while he snoozed, and the scenery had taken a drastic shift in the last few hours. Gone were the buildings reaching ever upwards towards the sky and bustling rush hour traffic; the brick buildings replaced by stretching fern trees, the road dotted with an occasional mile marker or patch of dandelions.  
  
The bus pulled up to a shabby stop about ten minutes later, with a small sign welcoming you to Pelican Town. Donghyuck shouldered his backpack and noticed a familiar, smiling face at the bus stop.  
  
He practically ran down the last steps off the bus, “Lewis!”  
  
The elder man grinned, bringing Donghyuck in for a hug, “Donghyuck, it has been so long!”  
  
He nuzzled into the man’s embrace, taking in the smells of pinecone, ember, and saltwater - it reminded him of his grandpa. “Thanks for coming to meet me. You really didn’t have to.”  
  
“Don’t be silly, you’re practically family to me.” He motioned for them to keep moving, “Come on, I”ll take you to the farm. Your stuff arrived earlier this morning, I had Marnie and Mark unload the truck for you.”  
  
Donghyuck blushed, “Lewis, you guys didn’t have to do all that.”  
  
Lewis waved him off, still beaming, “Nonsense, we’re all so happy to have you here. It’s the least we could do.”  
  
They arrived on the farm - or what had once been a farm - and Donghyuck’s heart fell. It was a lot. The field was in shambles, weeds overgrown everywhere, stones and debris covering the ground, and the farm buildings, his grandpa’s coop and the old barn, was in ruins. The small house his grandpa lived in remained intact, somehow, although Donghyuck noted the roof could use some new shingles.  
Lewis must have noticed the panic in his eyes, patting him on the shoulder reassuringly, “Now I know it’s not quite the way you remember it, but don’t worry, we all want to help you get it back to your grandad’s former glory, you hear?”   
  
His throat felt dry, “Lewis, I can’t ask you guys to do that.”   
  
“What if we want to!!” A voice shouted from across the farm.  
  
Donghyuck whirled around, confusion etched on his face, to see his old friend Mark and some other faces he vaguely remembered from their childhood.   
  
“Mark Lee?” Donghyuck laughed, shaking his head in disbelief. Mark looked the same, his face a bit more lean now that all the baby fat had vanished.   
  
Mark hugged him, ruffling his hair as he pulled back, “Donghyuck Lee, back again. And a farmer now, huh?”   
  
Donghyuck narrowed his eyes, “Yeah, so what?”   
  
Mark snickered, “Nothing, just never took you for the type, city boy.”   
  
He huffed, pointing a finger in Mark’s face, “I’ll have you know I was never a city boy, it was a mere facade I was putting on all these years. I’ve come back to connect with nature.” He flicked Mark’s nose, “And you’re one to talk, _Canada._ ”   
  
Someone snorted a laugh behind Mark, and Donghyuck found himself eyeing a very beautiful, very flushed boy with warm eyes, and perhaps the cutest nose Donghyuck had ever seen. The boy tried coughing to cover his outburst, only making himself blush more, and Donghyuck felt his heart flutter.   
  
Another boy, Renjun, Donghyuck’s memory supplied, jabbed him with his elbow, “Jeno, shut up. You’ll make him think he’s funny.”   
  
_Jeno._   
  
“Ignoring your rudeness upon our first time seeing each other in almost five years, Renjun,” Donghyuck began, “Why are you guys here?”   
  
Lewis cleared his throat, “As I said, Donghyuck, the town wants to help you restore the farm.”   
  
“B-But it’s. It’s a lot of work,” He looked around at the expanse of fields, the decay of buildings, “I know everyone else has their own problems to deal with.”   
  
The other boy, Jaemin, he remembered, spoke up from beside Jeno, “Our parents owe a lot to your family, and your grandad in particular. He’s helped this village more than we could ever repay him.”   
  
Mark nodded, “Yeah, me and my mom owe him for helping our chickens stay healthy through some of the really harsh winters.”   
  
Donghyuck felt his eyes getting watery, and rubbed at them hastily, “I’ll do most of it myself, okay? I’ll work my ass off to get this place up and running again.”   
  
Jeno smiled, his eyes turning to crescents.   
  
_Oh._   
  
“We’ll help you however you need, okay?”   
  
Donghyuck tried responding but realized his tongue was absolutely useless, and simply nodded.   
  
Lewis gave him another pat on the back, “Alright, I’ll leave you to get unpacked, Donghyuck. If you need anything I’m in the same house near the saloon.”   
  
“Thank you, Lewis.” Donghyuck watched the man leave, and swiveled on the group. “Okay, now you guys - shoo.”   
  
“Wait, what?” Mark asked, “After all that?”   
  
Donghyuck sighed, “I have a lot of unpacking to do, and then I am going to spend the rest of my afternoon pulling these weeds. So yes - shoo!” He grabbed Mark by the shoulders and turned him around, pushing him towards the south exit.   
  
Jaemin frowned as they headed back the way they came, “Fine, but we’ll be back.”   
  
Renjun hurried after his friends, throwing a quick wave in Donghyuck’s direction. “See ya.”   
  
He watched the boys as they headed towards Mark’s farm, and caught Jeno looking back at him over his shoulder. The boys locked eyes, and Jeno threw a hand in the air, waving furiously, “It was really nice meeting you, Donghyuck!”   
  
Donghyuck’s face burned red, his hand waving back automatically, but unable to respond. The boys had long left his farm before Donghyuck decided it was time to head inside and start unpacking his belongings. He slapped his face a few times, “Get it together, Hyuck.”   
  
He took the few steps leading to his small cottage, opening the door to his new home, thoughts filled with crescent eye smiles and cute noses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tag yourself i'm hyuck standing dazed in a field after jeno smiled at me  
> come find me on twt if you wanna scream about stardew valley and/or the dreamies! @cbangchans


End file.
